NAUTICAL TATTOOS
1.
Researches show that tattooing is one of the oldest body adornment prac tices . It is hard to determine exactly when this art form originated. Archaeological studies reveal it could have been about 40,000 years ago. From the very beginning tattoos were done to distinguish the person who had them from others. They could mark such person’s high status and rank, as in the case of someone who had killed an enemy, had taken their head and was thus eligible for a tattoo. On the other hand, tattoos served as marks of slaves or convicts as well.
the 18th century and are associated with sailing. The word tattoo originates from Polynesian tatau, meaning painting. It was first used by the famous British sailor and explorer, Captain James Cook, who is said to be the father of the modern tattoo art. In the book A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World, reporting on his voyage around the world, Captain Cook described, among other things, painted bodies of the people living on the South Sea islands. Drawings from the voyage depicting tattooed Polynesians can be seen in the British Museum in London.
The history of modern tattooing and the name itself go back to the times of great geographical discoveries in
Although the sailor stereotype has changed considerably since the 18th century and tattoos have become a part of our
18 | Summer 2020 | Lifestyle
lives for good, maritime motifs are still one of the main trends in the body painting art. Nautical tattoos have evolved over the years. They have become marks of status, achievements, talismans helping tattoo bearers face hardships of sea wanderings as well as expressions of longing for what a stable life on land offered. Let’s see what some of the most interesting nautical tattoos mean. 1. Fully Rigged Ship: Any sailor who sailed around Cape Horn (known also as a graveyard for ships) and sur vived was cer tainly ver y expe rienced and luck y. No wonder, he got a lot of job offers. Additionally, to mark his heroic deed, he could have this very motif tattooed on his body;
